At least eight local farmers and businessmen were killed by gunmen in the Arimogija and Molege communities of Ose Local Government Area in Ondo state, according to the police.
The traders were allegedly slaughtered by the marauders while traveling back from Akure, the state capital, according to Mr. Owolafe Folorunsho, a community leader.
“They laid an ambush, attacked the traders who were coming from Akure, and killed all the occupants before taking away their money and setting their vehicles and motorcycles on fire.
“The gunmen have been launching an attack on the communities at night using sophisticated weapons,” Mr Folorunsho said.
Mr Folorunsho stated that the last attack, which occurred last Thursday night, was provoked by the farmers’ efforts to repel the gunmen’s continued wanton destruction of their crops.
“The gunmen have continued to invade our farmlands at night, harvest our crops to feed their cattle. At times, they will come during the day, force us to uproot the cassava by ourselves at gunpoint, and command us to cut them into pieces to feed their cows.
“In order not to take laws into our hands, we reported this act of economic sabotage to the appropriate authority who took prompt action to chase them out of the farming areas only for them to come back and attacked us again.
“The assailants are gradually taking over four camps; Molege, Ugboruwen, Elerinta, and Adedigba, in the local communities,” He added.
The community’s traditional ruler, Oba Rotimi Obamuwagun, who also confirmed the tragedy, decried the gunmen’s unwholesome acts in the surrounding communities.
He described how they demolished four hectares of cassava field belonging to one of his subordinates who had borrowed money from a commercial bank to finance his farming business.
The Police Public Relations Officers in Ondo, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, in a statement asserted that the police were already investigating the matter.
She added that security agents have been drafted to the affected communities to restore normalcy and prevent further attacks.